Consider the leaf TURNED.: paleo

Showing posts with label paleo. Show all posts

Fall - a time for light sweaters, boots, leaves, apples, and everything pumpkin spiced. Am I right? I love this time of year because the fall has brought so many beautiful moments in to my life. 6 years ago, Mark proposed to me at an apple orchard in late September and almost 3 years ago, we welcomed our beautiful baby girl into the world in late October.

A couple of weeks ago, we took Isabelle for our now annual trip to the Roba's Family Farm where we got to ride a pony, feed goats, pick out pumpkins, and Isabelle got to try a cider donut for the first time. SHOCKING I KNOW. I let Isabelle eat a cider donut and it wasn't even gluten free!

Because we eat so well every day, I do not have any problem with the occasional treat. If my kid eats a cider donut once a year, I'm still calling that a success!

A few days passed and Isabelle and I had the following conversation:

Isabelle: I want to go back to the farm.
Mama: Oh yea? Do you want to ride the pony again?
Isabelle: No, I need donuts.

Oh Lord, I created a monster!

So these Sweet Potato Spice Waffles/Pancakes were born. I wanted to create something that tasted like a cider donut but was nutrient dense so I felt comfortable feeding it to Isabelle on a regular basis.

The kid loves the paleo waffle recipe from Every Last Crumb so I used that recipe as a base for this one. My first attempt was OK, but adding the sweet potato threw off the texture of the waffle. I kept playing around with flour ratios and the end result was delicious! It's crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, filled with the nutrients of a sweet potato, spiced with pumpkin pie spice, satiating from the healthy fats, and just sweet enough to get your daughter to forget about cider donuts from the farm and devour these "waffle donuts" as Isabelle called them instead.

You can also use this batter to make Sweet Potato Spice Pancakes! They were delicious with some coconut butter smeared over them.

Both the pancakes and waffles freeze really well, so I would absolutely double this recipe and save some for a busy morning or quick snack. I actually prefer the waffles after they've been toasted for about 2-3 minutes in the toaster. Also, feel free to try pumpkin instead of the sweet potato! The batter might be a little wetter (haven't tested it myself), but should still work.

SWEET POTATO SPICE WAFFLES AND PANCAKES RECIPE

Recipe Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut milk, light
1/4 cup avocado oil (plus more for oiling your waffle iron or skillet)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Recipe Directions

1. Plug in your waffle iron to warm up or warm up a skillet over medium low heat for making pancakes.
2. In a medium/large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined.
3. Make a well in your dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to your bowl. Mix everything together until a batter is formed.
4. Let batter sit for 5 minutes. You should notice a few bubbles form in the batter during this time.
5. COOKING THE WAFFLES: Lightly brush on some avocado oil to your warm waffle iron. Add a scoop of batter to your waffle iron, leaving about an inch from the edges all around. Close the top and cook according to your waffle iron's instructions. My waffle iron takes about 5 minutes per waffle.
6. COOKING THE PANCAKES: Lightly brush on some avocado oil to your warm skillet. Add about 1/4 cup of batter and cook like a traditional pancake, waiting for a few bubbles to surface before flipping. Cook for one more minute after flipping.
7. Serve with maple syrup and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!

Try these and let me know what you think!

XOXO,
SMP

*Some product links throughout this blog are affiliate links. If through these links, you end up purchasing an item I recommend, I may receive a small commission. Please know that I would never personally recommend any product or service that I do not currently use or would consider using on my own family. I simply want you to know exactly what I use, so you can have the same results when making my recipes. Thank you for your support!*

Soup. We love soup around here. It's such an easy way to boost up the nutrition in your daily diet and sneak in lots of wholesome veggies and nourishing bone broth into the little ones.

I've been making some variation of this Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Apple soup for probably almost two years now. I never wrote it down or followed a recipe, but a general method - chop up and cook the veggies you have on hand, add some broth, and puree until smooth. It really is that easy.

The sweet potato, carrot, and apple all have a nice sweetness to them so this soup is SO kid-friendly. My daughter Isabelle has always happily eaten this soup and asked for more. Also, you can use butternut squash or pumpkin instead of (or in addition to) the sweet potato, leave out the carrots, or add in more apple - whatever works for you! Truly, this recipe is super forgiving, but the combo of flavors is delicious, especially with sauteed onion and garlic thrown into the mix.

On multiple occasions, I have added in some cooked chicken or homemade sausage to make this a complete meal. The sausage and soup combo is actually one of my faves!

The last thing I'd like to point out is the seasoning. I truly enjoy this soup with just a generous seasoning of sea salt. My bone broths usually come out pretty flavorful and combined with the sweetness of the veggies and fruits, the soup has enough flavor for our palates. But if you'd like to get crazy with the herbs and spices, I would recommend cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cloves, and Herbes de Provence as good options to choose from!

Okay - LAST last thing. For an even deeper level of flavor (and if you have the time), roast the veggies first, instead of cooking down in the soup pot. 30 minutes at 400 degrees should do it and then you can skip step 2 below.

SWEET POTATO, CARROT, and APPLE SOUP RECIPE
Recipe Ingredients
1 extra large sweet potato, peeled and diced (or two medium - you want about 1.5 pounds)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 apples, diced
1/2 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp ghee or grassfed butter
5 cups bone broth (preferably homemade. Add less for a thicker soup)
sea salt, to taste

Recipe Directions
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion in the ghee/butter for 2-3 minutes with a nice pinch of sea salt.
2. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, and apples into the pot, tossing to combine and adding another generous pinch of salt. Cook down for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Add in the broth and scrape up any delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Lower heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for about 10 additional minutes, or until all of the veggies are soft.
6. Once the veggies are cooked through, remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. You can also carefully transfer to a regular blender, working in batches as needed.
7. Do a taste test once pureed and add more salt or additional seasonings as desired.
8. Serve and enjoy!

XOXO,
SMP

*Some product links throughout this blog are affiliate links. If through these links, you end up purchasing an item I recommend, I may receive a small commission. Please know that I would never personally recommend any product or service that I do not currently use or would consider using on my own family. I simply want you to know exactly what I use, so you can have the same results when making my recipes. Thank you for your support!*

Now that Isabelle is in preschool full-time, I have to be more and more creative with packing her snacks and lunch. A few weeks ago, I found some organic ground chicken and thought I would give making chicken nuggets a try! I wanted to make these gluten free, but simple enough to make on a regular basis, if they were a hit with the Little Lady.

Which, they clearly were.

This recipe can easily be scaled down or up depending on your chicken nugget needs. I like making this amount because we can eat once and also store some in the fridge or freezer for later consumption.

Now, let's talk texture. Since these chicken nuggets are baked and not fried, the coating is not super crunchy like fried chicken nuggets from a drive-thru. They are soft, flavorful, a little flaky, and a big hit with both my almost 3 year old and my 32 year old husband.

Try these out and let me know what you think!

GLUTEN FREE BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS RECIPE

Recipe Ingredients
2 lbs ground chicken
2 tsp Adobo seasoning (Click here for my easy homemade blend)

Coating:
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/4 tsp Adobo seasoning
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp water
Olive Oil Cooking Spray (or use a Misto, if you have one)

Recipe Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the 2 lbs of ground chicken with 2 tsp of Adobo seasoning.
3. Spray some oil on your hands to prevent sticking and start forming the nuggets by rolling the ground chicken into small golf ball sized balls and then flattening to about 1/4 inch thick and placing on a separate plate. Form all chicken nuggets (or at least half the batch) before proceeding to the next steps.
4. Line up 3 small bowls: one bowl with just the tapioca flour, one bowl with the 2 eggs mixed with the tbsp of water, and one bowl with the almond flour and Adobo seasoning combined.
5. Take each chicken nugget and coat first with tapioca flour, then drop into the egg wash, then coat with the seasoned almond flour, and lastly place on the oiled baking sheet.
6. Once all chicken nuggets are prepared, spray the tops of each nugget with the olive oil spray.
7. Bake for a total of 10 minutes, making sure to flip the nuggets at the halfway point.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
SMP

I am always looking for new ways to make a quick meal that is both nutritious and delicious. This Italian Sausage recipe with peppers, onions, and spinach is not only both, but also super easy to pull together any day of the week.

We almost always have the ingredients in stock in our fridge and it always delivers. The spice blend is easy and you probably have everything in your pantry right now.

This dish is full of flavor and delicious on its own or over some cauliflower rice, white rice, or gluten-free pasta tossed in butter. Super kid-friendly, too!

We also like to add a dollop of homemade ranch dressing (I use this recipe), for a richness that really satisfies. If you like your Italian sausage hot, feel free to add a few shakes of crushed red pepper before serving.

Homemade Italian Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and Spinach Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:

1 lb of ground pork (organic and/or pasture-raised)

2 bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice)

1/4 cup broth (ideally homemade bone broth)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt + a pinch

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano, dried

1 tsp basil, dried

1 tsp parsley, dried

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

large handful chopped spinach (1-2 cups, loosely packed)

Recipe Directions:

1. Over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp of avocado oil in a large skillet or pot.

2. Saute peppers and onions with a pinch of salt for about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits, and lower heat to medium.
4. Move peppers and onions to the perimeter, making space in the middle to add the ground pork. Break up pork with a wooden spoon and add the garlic and all of the spices. Stir to combine and cover.
5. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring and re-covering occasionally, until pork is no longer pink.
6. Lower heat to medium-low and add chopped spinach. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy!

XOXO,

SMP

You want to make these yuca fries. Like now. Fresh yuca (not to be confused with yucca) can be a bit intimidating at first, but this life is all about conquering fears and stepping into the unknown. So, let's get started.

You can find fresh yuca in the produce section of your local supermarket, probably near other vegetables popular in Latino cuisine, like plantains and batatas. They have a dark, waxy skin and should be pretty inexpensive per pound. Be sure to pick yucas that are firm (no squishy parts) and are uniform in shape to help the peeling process.

Once home, unless you have a really good vegetable peeler, it is a little hard to get through that tough, wazy skin. What I have been doing lately is scoring the yuca, diagonally across and all around, and then from the top, peeling the thick layer of skin off. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a short video on how it works.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB0CJVJRZeR/?taken-by=considertheleafturned

It's not a perfect process, but once you get it going, it saves a lot of time and effort and you're left with a pretty piece of yuca. You can also buy already peeled yuca in the frozen section (with the other Goya products), but you're going to pay a premium.

Once you have that baby peeled, cut into large chunks, and you're ready to start this recipe for the most delicious, crispy, and perfect yuca fries in all the land.

LIGHT & CRISPY YUCA FRIES RECIPE

Recipe Ingredients

1 large yuca, peeled and chopped into large chunks
water for boiling
sea salt
2 bay leaves
oil, for frying (avocado oil is our preference)
Homemade Adobo for seasoning

Recipe Directions

1. Peel the yuca as described above and cut into large chunks.
2. Put the yuca in a large pot, cover with cold water, add a few pinches of salt and 2 bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 30 minutes.
3. Carefully, remove the yuca from the pot and let cool.
4. Again, carefully cut the boiled yuca into fry shapes. Wedge shape works pretty well.
5. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet (like a cast iron) over medium heat, and add a thin layer of avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice).
6. Once the oil is glistening, using tongs, carefully place the yuca fries into the hot oil, working in batches and not overcrowding the pan.
7. Pan fry the yuca until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes a side.
8. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with a few pinches of Adobo.
9. Enjoy!

Note: If you feel as though this is too labor intensive to do all in one sitting, feel free to complete steps 1-3 during a meal prep session and store in a glass container in the fridge. Once you're ready to make the fries, pull out of the fridge and continue with steps 4-9!

XOXO,
SMP

I love sautéed greens and cabbage, which I would have never known until I started eating more vegetables and greens when we started living this Whole30/Paleo lifestyle.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've seen a ton of variations of my sautéed cabbage and greens. I usually always add fresh garlic and some acid in the form of balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice (or both!) and something salty like prosciutto.

This morning, I wanted something a little different so I ventured into making this dish with some Asian inspired flavors. The coconut aminos is a great paleo substitute for soy sauce and it takes the place of the vinegar and something salty that I usually like to add. The combination of the coconut aminos and the orange juice, garlic, and ginger really work so well together and transform this dish into something new and exciting. Topping with the sesame seeds and chopped cashews is a nice way to add some crunch and a little fat for satiety.

I paired my sautéed veggies with a couple eggs and it was a perfect, complete meal!

ASIAN INSPIRED SAUTÉED KALE & RED CABBAGE RECIPE

Recipe Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, cleaned, and roughly chopped

1 cup of red cabbage, roughly chopped

1/2 red onion, small dice

2 tbsp avocado oil

Pinch or two of sea salt

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp coconut aminos

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ginger (fresh or ground)

Small handful of chopped cashews, for topping

Sesame seeds, for topping

Recipe Directions:

1. Wash and prep your kale, red cabbage, and onion, removing stems from kale and roughly chopping everything into bite sized pieces. Make sure to dice the onion pretty small so it cooks quickly.

2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add about 2 tbsp avocado oil to the pan.

3. Add the red cabbage and onion, a pinch or two of sea salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes.

4. Add kale, garlic, orange juice, and coconut aminos and stir to combine.

5. Continue to sauté until veggies are cooked to your liking, usually around 5-10 more minutes. I like my kale and cabbage to still have a bit of a bite to them and not too soft.

6. Season with pepper and ginger. Do a taste test and determine if a pinch of salt is in order or not. The coconut aminos should be enough, but you won't know until you taste!

7. Top with sesame seeds and chopped cashews and enjoy! This could be enough for two servings or one serving for a hungry mama, like me!

Let me know what you think!

XOXO,
SMP

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Last week I announced how excited I am to be partnering with Thrive Market to bring all of you the best in healthy living products - at 25-50% off retail value! And the excitement continues :)

(Check out the link at the bottom of this page, for how to save even more!)

For those that don't know, Thrive Market offers the best-selling natural and organic products at wholesale prices.

THINK COSTCO MEETS WHOLE FOODS, ONLINE!

Ever since we started on our paleo/real food journey, we noticed our grocery bill start to climb as we were looking for the highest quality products out there to support our health. Along with the grocery bill was the gas bill, because I was often driving further away from home and to multiple natural food stores, looking for specialty items. Well now, Thrive Market is here to solve both of those problems. Now, I can shop in my pajamas, at any time of day, and pay wholesale prices for things like coconut butter and grassfed collagen! It really is a win-win!

So how does Thrive Market work?

It's pretty simple actually.

On Thrive Market you can shop the best-selling health and wellness products from the top natural brands on the market in everyday sizes, always at 25-50% below traditional retail prices.

Thrive Market members do pay a low annual fee of $59.95 (that’s less than $5 a month). This membership model allows them to sell the best healthy products at true wholesale prices and pass all the savings directly to members. In my first order, I've already saved the amount I paid in the membership, so I know this will be a huge benefit for the rest of the year.

And they don't just have random stuff either - Thrive Market makes it easy to get everything you need in one place. They have GMO-free food, snacks, vitamins, supplements, personal care products, cleaning supplies, beauty products, kitchen staples, pantry essentials, baby food and products and much, much more. I've only really scratched the surface in browsing their available products.

Want to know the coolest part of this all? For every paid membership, Thrive Market donates a free membership to a low income American family so we can all thrive together. So. Awesome.

But what about shipping? Isn't that going to cost me a fortune?

Nope! On every order $49+, shipping is FREE. Always!

Want to give it a try, but don't really want to commit to a yearly membership just yet?

No fear!

By visiting Thrive Market using any of the links in this blog post, you can get a free 30 day trial membership! And the clock doesn't start ticking until your first order is placed! So you can browse for a few days without it counting towards your 30 days, which is exactly what I did :).

Anything else I should know?

Yes! You will also receive 25% off your first purchase, so make that first purchase a good one!

OKAY, I AM SOLD!

TAKE ME TO THRIVE MARKET!

This recipe is such an easy and delicious meal that can be whipped up on meal prep nights and enjoyed the rest of the week, at any time of day! On its own or topped with an over easy egg for breakfast, it's all good.

Herbes de Provence is my absolute favorite seasoning blend for roasted vegetables. I literally put that on any vegetable and it tastes SO GOOD.

This would also make a wonderful side dish for your upcoming Thanksgiving or Christmas meals!

Herb Roasted Vegetables with Homemade Pork Sausage Recipe

*FOR THE VEGGIES*

Recipe Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
2-3 apples, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp or more ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice

Recipe Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Dice up the butternut squash, apples, carrots, and onion.
3. Toss with avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice) and season to taste (or use general guidelines above) with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Herbes de Provence, and ground cinnamon.
4. Roast for about 30 minutes.

*FOR THE HOMEMADE PORK SAUSAGE*

Recipe Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice

Recipe Directions:

1. While the veggies are roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and add a bit of cooking fat (as ground pork can be pretty lean) and the ground pork.

2. Crumble with a wooden spoon and season with 1 TSP each of sea salt, black pepper, ground mustard, ground sage, and paprika.

3. Continue to cook until no longer pink and cooked through.

Once the vegetables are done roasting and the ground pork sausage is cooked, combine both into a bowl and enjoy!

Until next time,
SMP

"Hmm, I could really go for some Balsamic Chicken," I thought to myself one day as I quickly looked through my kitchen to see what ingredients I had on hand. I didn't have what I needed for my Pomegranate Balsamic Chicken but I had enough to hopefully make something delicious. I also only had a pack of bone-in split chicken breasts and drumsticks so I knew my typical method of cooking on the stove top wasn't going to work. Lo and behold, this recipe was born and it was so incredibly delicious. The fresh lime at the end adds a subtle zing that I loved. Isabelle, my almost 2 year old, also couldn't stop asking for more.

BALSAMIC LIME ROASTED CHICKEN

Recipe Ingredients

About 4 lbs of bone-in chicken pieces (I used 2 split breasts and 4 drumsticks)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 TSP salt

1 TSP pepper

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 lime, juiced

Chopped fresh basil, to garnish

Recipe Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare marinade by whisking together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
In a large baking dish or roasting pan, add your chicken pieces. Pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat.
Roast the chicken uncovered for about 45 minutes, until just cooked through.
Carefully transfer the chicken to a clean plate and again, very carefully pour the remaining cooking liquid left in the pan into a small saucepan. If you have a lot of excess oil, you'll want to skim from the top.
Add in the juice from one lime and boil until the sauce reduces by about half and thickens to coat the back of a spoon. This can take about 6-8 minutes.
Pour the balsamic lime reduction over the chicken and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
SMP

Gorgeous beets are in season right now and if you're thinking of a new way to enjoy these nutritious and colorful vegetables, then this recipe is for you. Beets are an excellent source of folate, and a good source of manganese, potassium, copper, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron, and vitamin B6. They are also a healthy dose of carbs, if you're looking to add some variety to your real food plate. So pick up a bundle or two during your next trip to the farmers market and bring this salad to your next summer cookout. Or eat it all yourself in the comfort of your home. Both options are totally acceptable.

Now this beet salad is super simple and the key is the creamy, flavorful dressing. The dressing is based on Planks, Love, and Guacamole's ranch dressing (which I LOVE and make every week!), but I add lots of fresh basil and mint for a unique flavor combination.

Creamy Basil Mint Dressing
Based on Planks, Love, and Guacamole's "Best Ranch Dressing EVER"

Recipe Ingredients:
2/3 cup of light tasting olive oil
1 egg
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
handful of fresh basil
handful of fresh mint

Recipe Directions:
1. In a wide-mouth mason jar, add the egg and red wine vinegar. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to bring the egg to room temp.
2. Add spices and herbs to the jar and blend, using a stick immersion blender for about 30 seconds.
3. Measure out 2/3 cup of LIGHT TASTING olive oil and slowly add to the jar while you keep the immersion blender going. Within a couple of minutes, you should have a beautiful emulsion resulting in a creamy, delicious dressing. Taste test and add more herbs, if a stronger flavor is desired.

Creamy Beet Salad with Basil Mint Dressing Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:
3 large beets
2 tbsp Creamy Basil Mint Dressing (see above)
water, for boiling
1/2 tbsp of fresh mint, chopped
1/2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped
pinch of salt

Recipe Directions:
1. Chop off the beet greens and save for later*. Thoroughly wash beets, but you don't have to peel them yet.
2. In a large pot, boil the beets until fork tender. This could take anywhere from 45 - 75 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. I usually start testing at minute 45 and then every 15 minutes after that until cooked through.
3. Carefully transfer the beets to cold water to speed up the process of being able to handle them safely, without burning yourself.
4. Using a bunch of paper towels, carefully rub off the skin of the beets. The skin should easily come off and into the paper towels, without turning your hands bloody red.
5. Once peeled, dice up beets and place into a large bowl. Add about 2 tbsp of the Creamy Basil Mint Dressing and stir. Feel free to add more dressing, if you'd like.
6. Stir in the fresh herbs, saving a bit for garnish on top. Add a pinch or two of salt and you should be good to go!
7. Enjoy!

*I will be posting a delicious recipe for sauteed beet greens soon. Think bacon and garlic! Yum!

XOXO,
SMP

I've always had a soft spot for Chinese takeout, but ever since we started following a Whole30/Paleo diet, we have limited our intake to very infrequent occasions. It would always taste great in the moment, but later on we would feel sick to our stomach and wonder why we ordered it to begin with. This recipe, however, is equally delicious and leaves you feeling great and ready to continue on your health journey with no interruptions, no tummyaches, and no guilt.

The last couple of weeks I've been experimenting with using Coconut Aminos to create a clean, guilt free sauce I could use for quick stir fry dinners. The taste reminded me of Chinese takeout so I started to research how to make "Chinese Style Chicken" recipes like sweet and sour, orange, and sesame chicken. I took a little bit from a couple of different recipes and landed with this deliciously clean, Paleo, and Whole30* approved version of what reminds me of Sesame Chicken.

*If you have a serious obsession with Chinese takeout, this could be considered "swypo", as per the Whole30 guidelines. To me, it's just a healthier version of a popular dish and I would have no problem eating it during a Whole30 along side plenty of veggies or over some salad greens. Your call though.

The method to making this dish taste legit may sound a little labor intensive, but it's actually quite easy. I decided to show the steps in pictures, so you can get a good idea of what is happening along the way. Succinct instructions will follow at the end :)

Paleo Sesame Chicken Recipe - Step by Step!

1. Make your sauce: in a food processor or blender, combine coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute), orange juice, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger. Set aside.

Use a piece of fresh, peeled piece of ginger the size of about your thumb or 1 inch.

Coconut Aminos, garlic, ginger, and orange juice about to be blended up!

2. Prep Chicken: cut about 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and place into a large ziploc bag. I was able to cut each chicken thigh into about 6 pieces.

I know, raw chicken isn't pretty, but you get the idea.

3. Coat chicken: Add 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour/starch to the chicken pieces, zip up the bag, and shake what your mama gave ya until all pieces are well coated.

This is the kind of arrowroot flour I buy - it's relatively inexpensive compared to other flour substitutes and works perfectly for this recipe.

This is what your chicken pieces should look like after a good shake with the arrowroot flour.

4. Heat up a bit of avocado oil (or other healthy oil of your choice) over medium to medium high heat in a large heavy pan. You want the oil pretty hot, but not burning.

5. Egg bath: While the oil is heating, in a shallow dish, beat 3 large eggs and toss the chicken pieces, in batches, to coat on all sides. Once each batch is coated with the egg, you'll want to proceed to step 6 and then back again to step 5 for each batch.

Coat each chicken piece in the egg on all sides, working in batches, and proceeding to the next step.

You're looking for that nice golden brown, crispy but chewy crust.

Transfer each batch to a plate and continue to repeat steps 5 and 6 until all pieces are fried.

7. Clean your pan: I'm a big fan of limiting the number of pans to wash, so I recommend you carefully wipe out the pan you were working in so that you can use the same pan for the rest of the recipe.

I use a pair of tongs and some paper towels to wipe out any excess oil left in the pan.

8. Combine everything: Over medium heat, pour in the sauce we created in Step 1. Let it come to a simmer and then nestle all of the fried chicken pieces back into the pan.

Fried chicken pieces simmering in the sauce.

9. Simmer and watch sauce reduce: Simmer chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced to the nice thick sauce you would expect from Chinese takeout. Then, liberally sprinkle sesame seeds over cooked chicken.

Here the chicken is completely cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a nice thick sauce. I then sprinkled the sesame seeds all over.

10. Spoon your Paleo Sesame Chicken into a bowl with roasted vegetables or on top of a salad for a complete meal. Garnish with fresh scallions and enjoy!

Paleo Sesame Chicken Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup of arrowroot flour
3 large eggs
Avocado oil, enough to coat a pan and fry all pieces

For the Sauce:
3/4-1 cup Coconut Aminos (Use the lesser if you have 1.5 lbs instead of 2 lbs of chicken, and/or you prefer things a little less salty)
1 cup orange juice, no sugar added, all natural
4 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled, about the size of your thumb

Garnish:
Sesame seeds
Chopped fresh scallions

Recipe Directions:

1. Make your sauce: in a food processor or blender, combine coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute), orange juice, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger. Set aside.

2. Prep chicken: cut about 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and place into a large ziploc bag. I was able to cut each chicken thigh into about 6 pieces.

3. Coat chicken: Add 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour/starch to the chicken pieces, zip up the bag, and shake what your mama gave ya, until all pieces are well coated.

4. Heat up a bit of avocado oil (or other healthy oil of your choice) over medium to medium high heat in a large heavy pan. You want the oil pretty hot, but not burning.

5. Egg bath: While the oil is heating, in a shallow dish beat 3 large eggs and toss the chicken pieces, in batches, to coat on all sides. Once each batch is coated with the egg, you'll want to proceed to step 6 and then back again to step 5 for each batch.

6. Once the oil is hot, fry each chicken piece until golden brown on each side, about 30 seconds a side. You are not trying to fully cook the chicken, just create a nice crust. Work in batches and repeat Step 5 & 6 until all pieces are fried.

7. Clean your pan: I'm a big fan of limiting the number of pans to wash, so I recommend you carefully wipe out the pan you were working in so that you can use the same pan for the rest of the recipe.

8. Combine everything: Over medium heat, pour in the sauce we created in Step 1 into the cleaned out pan. Let it come to a simmer and then nestle all of the fried chicken pieces back into the pan.

9. Simmer and watch sauce reduce: Simmer chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced to the nice thick sauce you would expect from Chinese takeout. Then, liberally sprinkle sesame seeds over cooked chicken.

10. Spoon your Paleo Sesame Chicken into a bowl with roasted vegetables or on top of a salad for a complete meal. Garnish with fresh scallions and enjoy!

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Until next time!

XOXO,
SMP

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